Gregory Orear

General Manager/Editor

TROY – For the second time this week, law enforcement arrested a convicted Lincoln County sex offender for failure to register.

Christopher Matthews, 37, faces a Class E felony for failure to register as a sex offender after allegedly lying about his home address.

Court records indicate Matthews was found guilty in Florida of the felony of traveling to meet a minor to commit unlawful sexual offense in August 2023. Upon returning to Missouri, Matthews registered as a sex offender in December 2023 and was provided a re-registration date of July 2025.

Prior to re-registering, Matthews reported to Lincoln County officials in April that he had moved, as required by law, to 1 Merlin Drive in Troy. When he re-registered in July, he reported that remained his home address.

 However, when a Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy responded to the address on Merlin Drive two months later, he didn’t find Matthews.

“I spoke with Witness One who stated Matthews has never lived at his residence (he) just uses the address for registration,” the deputy states in the probable cause statement. “Witness One provided me with directions to Matthews’ residence.”

The deputy responded to the provided address on Emads Circle in Troy and located Matthews, who admitted he had been living at that residence for three months.

Following his arrest Thursday, Matthews is being held at the Lincoln County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

If convicted for not registering, Matthews faces a prison sentence of one-four years and a $10,000 fine. He also could have his probation revoked from the original felony conviction in Florida, which carries a 15-year prison sentence.

Tuesday, law enforcement arrested Robert Goebel on a similar charge after he allegedly moved to Wisconsin temporarily before returning to Lincoln County.